Verse 23
The cow is carried off· Verses 23–28
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23One day, wandering after game in the woods of the forest, he came by chance upon the hermitage of Jamadagni, and sat down there. 24The sage, whose wealth was his austerity, brought out a welcome for that god among men, and for his army and his ministers and his mounts, and it came from the cow Havismati. 25When that hero saw there what went beyond his own lordship, he set no store by what he had been given, and with the Haihayas he wanted the cow of the fire-offering for himself. 26In his pride he urged his men to carry off the sage's giver of oblations. And they took her by force to Mahismati, her calf with her, and she bellowing all the way.
27Then, when the king had gone, Rama came back to the hermitage. Hearing of that baseness of his, he grew angry as a snake grows when it has been struck. 28Taking up his terrible axe, and his quiver and his armour and his bow, past all bearing of it he ran after him, as the lord of beasts runs after the leader of a herd.